Guide Note

Abdullah Gul was elected President of Turkey after the third round of parliamentary voting on August 28, 2007. His past support of Islamic policies made him the source of serious controversy amongst secularist groups within the country.

Fast Facts

1. Born: October 19, 1950 in Kayseri, Turkey
2. Political party: Justice and Development Party (AKP)
3. Elected President of Turkey on August 28, 2007
4. Won 339 out of 448 parliamentary votes¹
5. Sworn in shortly after results were announced

Gul's Justice and Development Party (AKP) had recently won a distinct majority in the 2007 parliamentary elections and controlled more than half of the seats.² He relied upon the AKP dominance to win the presidential vote despite the Islamist/[[Secularism|secularist controversy surrounding him.

Top army generals ardently support of Turkish secularism and boycotted the parliamentary session.¹ This has led some to worry that a military coup may be forthcoming.